PhD position on Human-Robot Interaction and AI For Health Coaching

Healthcare systems are transforming due to demographic changes, economic pressure, and epidemiological shifts, among other factors. This creates a need for innovative and supportive solutions such as (social) robots, chatbots, and intelligent virtual avatars. These technologies can potentially support staff and improve people's lives by promoting healthier lifestyles, providing patient care, and enhancing rehabilitation outcomes.

Advancements in (conversational) AI and large language models (LLMs) have made interactions with these systems more seamless and intuitive. However, these technologies must offer personalized and sensitive guidance while addressing potential risks to support vulnerable user groups.

Besides natural language interaction capabilities, there is a growing need to enhance robots' physical interaction skills with patients, enabling them to replicate the supportive roles of physiotherapists and caregivers. This involves fostering social-physical contact, boosting adherence to rehabilitation programs, and dynamically adapting to users' changing goals and preferences.

We aim to develop adaptive, long-term coaching robots that integrate conversational fluency, human-like physical interaction, and interactive learning to deliver personalized and effective support in coaching and rehabilitation scenarios for enhancing health and well-being.

We are looking for a dedicated researcher with expertise in AI, robotics, and NLP to join us in advancing this field. You will lead the way in designing and developing personalized physical Human-Robot Interaction methods and innovative machine-learning solutions, helping redefine the future of coaching, rehabilitation, and care. The specific Ph.D. research topic is open to the candidate's background and interests.

Requirements:

• A Master's degree in Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, or a related field.
• Strong background in at least three areas: Human-computer interaction/Human-Robot Interaction, machine/reinforcement learning, computer vision, NLP, signal processing, conversational agents, system engineering, and robotics.
• Experience with programming languages such as Python, C++, or similar and robotics middleware.
• Enthusiastic and intrinsically motivated to pursue a 4-year long research project.
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, cultural, and communication skills.
• Experience in conducting and evaluating user studies, both quantitatively and/or qualitatively.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a multidisciplinary research team.
• You have a creative mindset and excellent analytical and communication skills in English.

Salary Benefits:

• A full-time position for four years, with a qualifier in the first year, and the flexibility to work (partially) from home..
• Your salary and associated conditions are in accordance with the collective labour agreement for Dutch universities (CAO-NU).
• You will receive a gross monthly salary ranging from € 2.901 (first year) to € 3.707,- (fourth year).
• There are excellent benefits including a holiday allowance of 8% of the gross annual salary, an end-of-year bonus of 8.3%, and a solid pension scheme.
• A minimum of 232 leave hours in case of full-time employment based on a formal workweek of 38 hours. A full-time employment in practice means 40 hours a week, therefore resulting in 96 extra leave hours on an annual basis.
• Free access to sports facilities on campus.
• A family-friendly institution that offers parental leave (both paid and unpaid).
• You will have a training programme as part of the Twente Graduate School where you and your supervisors will determine a plan for a suitable education and supervision.

40 hours per week

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